Sunday, November 1, 2009

Pumehana a'e a ala sola! (Warm Up at sola!)

Ingredient of the Month: Mushrooms

The air is crisp and it's time to escape to the warm Hawaiian sun. If that won't work, you can hide from the cold Chicago weather and get a taste of Hawaii at sola. This month, enjoy the robust flavors of mushrooms with a Hawaiian twist. Chef Carol Wallack and Chef de Cuisine Alex Shalev will be featuring mushrooms in dishes such as the mouth-watering Scallops with wild mushrooms, leek, fava risotto, wax beans, baby bok choy, truffle vinaigrette and Oregon truffle.

Facts About Mushrooms

• There are 38,000 varieties of mushrooms

• Mushrooms can be frozen but they must be cleaned, cooked and placed in a ½ cup or 1 cup container to freeze

•Ancient Egyptians considered mushrooms to be food for the royals

Drink of the Month:Ginger Goose in a Pear Tree

grey goose poire domaine de canton (fresh ginger liquor)
seedling farms pear cider

What's Going On at sola

Triple B Night!

Burgers, Beer and Bacon, oh my! Indulge yourself every Thursday with sola's Burger, Beer and Bacon Thursdays! Every Thursday beginning at 5:30 p.m., Chef Carol Wallack features her burger, a unique beer and a special dessert infused with sola's house-made bacon. Some specials include bacon buttermilk ice cream with malasada, not fudge, wild strawberry compote and hazelnut brittle; Two Brothers - ebel weiss and sola's burger which is normally only available during lunch. This mouth-watering burger is wagyu "kobe" beefdripping with cambazola cheese, house- made bacon, caramelized onions and arugula squeezed between a chewy pretzel roll.

Prix Fixe Menu

With the economy the way it is at this time, every penny counts. Make your cash go a long way with sola's Prix Fixe menu!

November is mushrooms

gnocchi
with wild mushroom, smoked turkey,
tatsoi and shallots

grilled ny strip steak
fingerling potatoes, swiss chard, mushrooms, mustard demi

matsutake and pear tart
blue cheese ice cream, thyme, truffle soy syrup

Every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, Chef Wallack and Chef de Cuisine Alex Shalev offer an affordable Three-Course Prix-Fixe Menu available for dinner, beginning at 5:30 p.m.
The menu is priced at $30 per person and for just $15 more you can add a wine pairing, selected by our own wine connoisseur, to complement each course.